Inclusion is the act of enabling genuine participation and contribution, where everyone, regardless of their background, identity or circumstances feels valued, accepted and supported to thrive at work.

Diversity is about the seen and unseen characteristics which make each of us different, informing our unique identity and perspective on the world.

Diversity and Inclusion is important to the NSW public sector. The Public Service Commission has done research that shows:

• employees support a broad definition of diversity and define inclusion as enabling participation
• employees think the public sector should reflect the diversity of the community it serves
• progress will require genuine support starting from the top
• employees agree we deliver greater benefits for the people of NSW when each of us is able to contribute.

The State of the Public Sector Report provides data on the representation of diversity groups in our workforce. The People Matter Employee Survey provides information on employee experiences of inclusion including flexible working and perceptions of inclusive culture.

Multicultural NSW is the lead agency for implementing the policy and legislative framework to support multicultural principles in NSW.

Some resources you can use to improve cultural inclusion in your workplace are:

• The Australian Human Rights Commission has a free online ‘how to’ guide to workplace cultural diversity. 
• Managing Cultural Diversity Training Program has been developed by the Australian Multicultural Foundation as a resource for managers in Australia, to support them in recognising and encouraging cultural diversity in their workplaces.

Ensuring that your workplace is inclusive of employees of all ages is important. These resources will help your agency address the inclusion of older workers in the workplace:

• Mature Age information for employers is a guide developed by the Commonwealth to help human resource practitioners make their workplaces age inclusive.
• Upholding the Rights of Older Workers training provides an introduction to the rights of older workers in Australian workplaces. The course was developed by the Australian Human Rights Commission in collaboration with the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, and is free for all NSW Public Service employees. A version of this training is also available to be embedded into your Department or Agency’s LMS. If you are interested in this express your interest to the Australian Human Rights Commission through this online form. To access this training you need will first need to register: 
  • click the training link to access the AHRC’s e-learning portal
  • press the ‘sign-up’ button
  • create a new account by filling in your details and press ‘create my new account’ 
  • a confirmation email will be sent to the email address you provided
  • click on the link in the email to confirm your registration and log in to the e-learning portal.